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Do not fall for this latest scam threatening arrest for unpaid debts. < Back Telephone Scam Do not fall for this latest scam threatening arrest for unpaid debts. Previous Next Sussex County Sheriff Michael F. Strada would like to warn residents of a telephone scam targeting Sussex County. Some Sussex County residents have reported receiving telephone calls within the last few days from someone stating they are calling from the Sussex County Sheriff’s Office. The caller says that you will be arrested if you do not satisfy a particular debt. They give a case number and a call back number. Do not fall for this latest scam. The Sussex County Sheriff’s Office is not making these calls . If you have received a call threatening arrest by the Sussex County Sheriff’s Office, please call the Sussex County Prosecutor’s Office at 973.383.1570, ext. 4526.

Arrested: Gerard J. Pollastro, age 40, of Wantage Township, NJ. < Back Sheriff's officers arrest Wantage man for DWI Arrested: Gerard J. Pollastro, age 40, of Wantage Township, NJ. Previous Next At approximately 10:00 p.m. on the evening of Thursday, December 20, 2012, Sheriff’s Officer Samantha Schilling was assigned to traffic enforcement within Wantage Township. While patrolling that area, she observed a motor vehicle operated by Gerard Pollastro failing to maintain his lane of traffic. After initiating a motor vehicle stop, speaking with Pollastro, and observing him attempt to perform several field sobriety tests, Sheriff’s Officer Schilling found him to be intoxicated. Officer Schilling took Pollastro into custody and transported him back to the Sussex County Sheriff’s Office where he was processed and released pending a future court appearance in Wantage Township Municipal Court. He was issued summonses for reckless driving, failure to maintain lane and driving while intoxicated. Sheriff’s Officer Scott Haggerty and Sheriff’s Sergeant John Gray assisted in the arrest.

Arrested: George Meyer, age 59, of Franklin, NJ. < Back Sheriff&'s officers arrest Franklin man at home Arrested: George Meyer, age 59, of Franklin, NJ. Previous Next On Thursday, November 29, 2012, sheriff’s officers John Swords and Chris Megna were assigned to warrant apprehension duties. At approximately 9:45 p.m., officers Swords and Megna located George Meyer at his residence. He was the subject of multiple outstanding arrest warrants from local municipalities. Meyer was immediately taken into custody and transported to the Keogh-Dwyer Correctional Facility where he is currently lodged in lieu of $639.00 bail.

$3,350.00 has been raised by the SCSO and will be utilized to assist cancer patients and fund education about cancer prevention. < Back SCSO raises over $3,000 during No-Shave November $3,350.00 has been raised by the SCSO and will be utilized to assist cancer patients and fund education about cancer prevention. Previous Next The Sussex County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO) was a proud participant in this year’s American Cancer Society “No-Shave November” fundraiser. Throughout the month of November, and with the approval of Sheriff Michael F. Strada, 27 members of the Sussex County Sheriff’s Office Bureau of Law Enforcement elected to forego their daily shaving routines and donate at least a portion of the amount of money they would have spent on grooming costs to No-Shave November. At the time of this writing, $3,350.00 has been raised by the SCSO and will be utilized by No-Shave November to assist cancer patients and fund education about cancer prevention. Although participation by the SCSO in the fundraiser has ended, the good work the American Cancer Society does continues. For more information regarding donations or volunteering, please visit the American Cancer Society website .

Sheriff Michael F. Strada is pleased to announce the recent graduation of a new sheriff’s K-9 team. < Back New sheriff’s K-9 team graduates training academy Sheriff Michael F. Strada is pleased to announce the recent graduation of a new sheriff’s K-9 team. Previous Next Sheriff Michael F. Strada is pleased to announce the recent graduation of a new sheriff’s K-9 team. On February 22, 2019, the team of K-9 “Nutmeg,” a one and a half year old bloodhound, and Sheriff’s Detective Catherine Young completed an extensive 10-week training program provided by the Cape May County Sheriff’s Office comprised of instruction in both canine obedience and human tracking. Speaking during a small gathering at the Sussex County Sheriff’s Office last week, Sheriff Strada congratulated Det. Young on her graduation. Said the sheriff, “The effective utilization of competent and well trained K-9 teams is an integral part of successful contemporary law enforcement. To that end, we are pleased to offer the services of K-9 Nutmeg and Sheriff’s Detective Young to the municipal law enforcement agencies of Sussex County.” The Sussex County Sheriff’s Office currently has three K-9 teams, offering specialized services in both narcotics detection and suspect location.

Arrested: Jamie L. Zita, age 26, of Dingmans Ferry, PA. < Back Dingmans Ferry woman arrested for DWI in Frankford Township Arrested: Jamie L. Zita, age 26, of Dingmans Ferry, PA. Previous Next On Saturday, August 31, 2013, while assigned to countywide DWI enforcement as part of the “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” statewide DWI campaign, Sheriff’s Officer Scott Haggerty observed a dark colored Honda Civic, operated by Jamie L. Zita, driving in excess of the posted speed limit on CR 655 in Frankford Township. Officer Haggerty pulled the vehicle over and spoke with Ms. Zita. After speaking with her and observing her attempt to perform several sobriety tests, Officer Haggerty determined Zita to be impaired. She was immediately arrested and transported to the Sussex County Sheriff’s Office for processing. Zita was charged with the following offenses: driving while intoxicated, speeding, reckless driving and failure to exhibit proof of valid insurance. She was given a future date to appear in Frankford Township Municipal Court and released to the care of a responsible person. Sheriff’s Officer Samantha Schilling assisted in the arrest.

K-9 Blaze had an 8-year career with the sheriff’s office. < Back SCSO mourns the passing of search & rescue K-9 K-9 Blaze had an 8-year career with the sheriff’s office. Previous Next Sheriff Strada is deeply saddened to announce the unexpected death of our search and rescue dog, K-9 Blaze who died suddenly, but peacefully, in his sleep over the weekend. A former service dog for the visually impaired, “Nate” was training at the Seeing Eye in Morristown when he was adopted by Lt. Ellicott in April of 2008. A gentle, docile, dog, “Blaze” as he was renamed by Lt. Ellicott, was so peaceful that he actually had to be taught how to bark. It was this calm, yet playful, demeanor that made him ideally suited for search & rescue work. Upon the completion of his initial training, K-9 Blaze became a certified search & rescue dog on October 19, 2008. Throughout his 8-year career with the Sussex County Sheriff’s Office, K-9 Blaze responded to, and assisted in the location of, over 40 missing juveniles, adults and seniors throughout Sussex County and the surrounding area. Sheriff Strada joins the men and women of the Sussex County Sheriff’s Office in mourning the passing of K-9 Blaze and our thoughts are with Lt. Ellicott and his family.

Arrested: Christopher J. Fiorenza, age 25, of Vernon Township, NJ. < Back Vernon man arrested attempting to defraud drug test Arrested: Christopher J. Fiorenza, age 25, of Vernon Township, NJ. Previous Next On Thursday, January 15, 2015, while assigned to the Sussex County Probation Department, Sheriff’s Officer Justin McCann was advised by probation staff that probationer Christopher Fiorenza was attempting to provide a fraudulent urine sample. Officer McCann responded to their location and, following a brief investigation, discovered Fiorenza to be in possession of a device commonly used to defraud court-ordered drug screens. Officer McCann immediately arrested Fiorenza and he was subsequently transported to the Sussex County Sheriff’s Office where he was charged with defrauding the administration of a drug test, a third degree crime. Fiorenza was issued a summons to appear in court at a future date and released on his own recognizance. Lieutenant Larry Beller and Sheriff’s Officer William Lunger assisted in the arrest.

Do you have information relating to a crime or criminal activity in the Sussex County, New Jersey area? Get a cash reward of up to $1,000 for your anonymous tip. Call our hotline or submit a tip online using the form below. Call 973.300.CRIME Crime Stoppers will pay up to a $1,000.00 reward for information leading to the arrest and indictment (as opposed to conviction) of criminals. When a person contacts Crime Stoppers, he/she is assigned a confidential code number which is then used for identification going forward. At no time will anyone ask the tipster’s name. The tipster will use the code number in all subsequent contacts with Crime Stoppers. When he/she becomes eligible for a reward, the arrangements to receive it are also made through the use of the code number. The reward will be paid in cash. After submitting your tip, please write down you’re your code number and call 973-300-CRIME to see if your tip leads to a reward. Crime Stoppers Online Anonymous Tip Form Suspect First Name Suspect Last Name Suspect Nickname Sex Age Birthday Race Height Weight Hair Color Eye Color Next

Arrested: Edward D. Reilly, age 41, of Wantage Township, NJ. < Back Outstanding warrant leads to drug arrest in Sussex Borough Arrested: Edward D. Reilly, age 41, of Wantage Township, NJ. Previous Next On Thursday, February 16, 2012, while assigned to fugitive apprehension duties in Wantage Township, sheriff’s detectives Mike Yanko and Matt Caine encountered Edward Reilly. Knowing him to be the subject of an outstanding Superior Court arrest warrant, detectives Yanko and Caine approached Reilly and placed him under arrest. Further investigation revealed Reilly to be in possession of a quantity of cocaine. Reilly was transported to the Sussex County Sheriff’s Office and charged with possession of a controlled dangerous substance in an amount of less than 1/2 ounce. Edward Reilly is currently lodged in the Keogh Dwyer Correctional Facility in lieu of $10,000 bail with no 10% option.

Scott Haggerty, from the Bureau of Law Enforcement, was recently promoted to sergeant. < Back Sheriff’s Detective Corporal Promoted Scott Haggerty, from the Bureau of Law Enforcement, was recently promoted to sergeant. Previous Next Sheriff Michael F. Strada is pleased to announce the promotion of Sheriff’s Detective Corporal Scott Haggerty to sergeant in the Sussex County Sheriff’s Office Bureau of Law Enforcement. A lifelong resident of Sussex County and a 1987 graduate of High Point Regional High School, Sergeant Haggerty began his law enforcement career in May 2003 when he was hired as a corrections officer by the Sussex County Sheriff’s Bureau of Corrections. In June of 2004, he was hired as a sheriff’s officer and assigned to the Courthouse Security and Prisoner Transportation Unit of the Bureau of Law Enforcement. He remained in this assignment until September of 2006 when he was assigned to the sheriff’s Community Policing Unit. Since August of 2018, Sergeant Haggerty has been assigned to the sheriff’s Detective Bureau where his current duties include background investigations, criminal and civil warrant service and entries, as well as fugitive apprehension. A certified Field Training Officer (FTO), Sergeant Haggerty is also certified as a hazardous materials technician, a child safety seat technician, and a defensive driving instructor. Throughout his career, he has been a member of the sheriff’s Traffic Unit, the Sussex County Hazardous Material Team (HAZMAT), and the County Car Accident Reconstruction Team (CART), as well as the Sussex County Office of Emergency Management (OEM) Incident Management Team. A life member of the Wantage Township Fire Department, Sergeant Haggerty is also a former fire chief of the department. Earlier this month, Sheriff Strada administered the oath of service to Sergeant Haggerty, congratulated him on his promotion, and wished him continued success in his career. Said the sheriff, “Throughout his career, Sergeant Haggerty has repeatedly displayed the qualities of leadership that are so vital to this position. We look forward to seeing him bring these qualities to his new role as a supervisor.” Sergeant Haggerty is a graduate of the Passaic County Police Academy Basic Corrections Officer Class and the Bergen County Law & Public Safety Institute (Police Academy) Basic Police Class. Pictured l to r: Sheriff Strada, Sgt. William Ficacci, and Sgt. Scott Haggerty. Pictured l to r: Sheriff Strada, Sgt. Scott Haggerty, Sgt. William Ficacci, Sgt. John Gray, Sgt. Michael Tidaback.

< Back Sussex County Sheriff Michael F. Strada Commissions the Sussex Technical School’s Graphic Arts Class to Design New Logo for Rescue Vehicle Previous Next Sussex County Sheriff Michael F. Strada recently called upon the students in the Sussex Technical School’s Graphic Design class to develop a new and modern Sheriff’s Office badge logo for their Polaris All Terrain Rescue Vehicle. Working closely with the Graphic Design teacher, Mr. Steven Styles, the class was able to design and submit multiple entries for Sheriff Strada’s review. Ms. Gabrielle Singer, a graduating Senior from the Sussex Technical School designed the winning submission. “This was a project that I felt was important to the local students as they were able to see their hard work used in a “real life” application” said Sheriff Strada. The Polaris UTV will be used by the Sussex County Sheriff’s office in the event of a rescue in areas of the county that are more difficult to access. Sheriff Strada was able to have the project completed just in time for the class to see the finished product. “I want to thank the students and Mr. Styles for working together with myself and the Sussex County Sheriff’s Office to create such a great logo” said Sheriff Strada. Pictured From left to right: Aidan Gagg, Courtney Breur, Gabrielle Singer, Kurt Hughes, Mr. Styles